Some Hippy Stuff

I've been going through my blog lately, kind of like looking through an old journal. Remembering things I created, projects I started, memories I made, things I did. I thought I would give you old readers a little update on some of my greener endeavors, and some new readers a little more information about me. Assuming, of course, there is actually still someone reading this out there. Anyways, in the summer of 2008, I decided to quit using shampoo and go for a more natural option. I now use baking soda dissolved in a glass of water, and some diluted cider vinegar if I feel like I need a little conditioning. (Side note: the vinegar is actually good for balancing the Ph of your scalp, too!) Looking back, I've been doing this for over a year now! The benefits of this are great. I save a TON of money, because baking soda is rediculously cheap, I'm not exposing myself to anything unnatural just by washing my hair, and my hair is a lot healthier for it. I do, on occasion, use some shampoo. It is all-natural, and is made by Alba. Really, the only reason I use it is because it was a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas. I use it very rarely, though- that bottle, which is not very big, should last me through this Christmas. So, yes, a decision I am glad that I made! I also decided to start making my own laundry detergent. I still think this works great, it is a much less expensive alternative, and I really like being able to use something less polluting and more natural here, as well. I still have not found a good alternative to stain remover though, and that's kind of neccessary with a toddler. Always searching, though! I am still on the search for the perfect (for me, at least) natural soap. I always thought I would do a big test, but of course, since a bar of soap lasts quite a while, it would be slow going. Maybe "Soap Wars" is still in the works, though. Maybe I should figure that out... Hmmm, what else... I have switched to an all-natural deoderant (I refer to it as my "hippy deoderant"). It took me a few tries to find my favorite one there, too. I also use all-natural toothpaste, and try to use all-natural lotions and what-nots as well. Lotion I am not so picky on, mostly because a lot of what I have isn't natural, and I'm not one to throw something out just because. I'll use it until it's gone. Waste not, want not and all that jazz. (Another side note: The Boyfriend says "'What's up!" He also want's me to say something all mushy and gross, but that's another day.) I use diluted white vinegar to disinfect and clean around the house. I find it works pretty well, maybe a little more elbow grease required. I don't mind that, though. It's also really cheap, I'm not having to deal with packaging waste, it's 100% food safe, and it's not harmful to people or the environment. Woot! Hmmm. I'm also trying to do my part to recycle (The Retro Palace is in part of the Albuquerque test market area!), working on cutting back on processed foods, and thinking about starting composting. I would also like to have a little garden next year! I think that would be so cool! So, that's pretty much what's been going on in my life as far as "green" goes. I'm making small steps to making less of an impact, not only on the environment, but also on myself and my family. I feel pretty good about all of it, and most of it is just second nature now. Do you have any "green" habits, or things that you do to lessen your impact?

Good Finds

Now that it's summer, the Hubbster and I like to go garage sale-ing on Sundays. Last week was our first real morning going out, but we hit a few good sales, and came away with some cool stuff. Among the finds were a little bag of dress-up beads for the Monsterette and a nice bag for me, probably a secondary knitting bag- when the big one is too big, and the small one is too small. The last garage sale we hit was a really nice lady with some cool stuff. (This is where I got the bag.) She had a whole box of yarn, most of it acrylic. I did, how ever, dig for some treasure, and got an entire bag of this for a buck: That, my friends, is Reynold's Lopi Wool. I got a little over 500 yards. For only a dollar! I was soooo stoked. I know I'm not supposed to be buying any more yarn, but that was just too good to pass up. I got to talking to her, and she knew me from my Etsy site. on thing lead to another, and I mentioned that I was trying to find good, natural soaps. Well, turns out she has an Etsy shop for that, as well! She gave me a whole bar of her lavender oatmeal soap for free, to try out. Is that awesome, or what?! All in all, it was a great Sunday.

'Poo Free, Day 18

Time for another no 'poo update! (Are you getting sick of them yet??) It feels like it's been longer than 18 days, for sure. Anyways. on with the reporting. So, I think I have my formula and process down. Currently, I've been washing about once a week, on Fridays. My hair is definitely still transitioning some, but I have noticed it's getting less and less greasy in between washings. I think I'm going to wait until it's adjusted before trying to go a little longer between the washings. So, here's what I've found works the best for my hair. Just a reminder, my hair is really straight, and fine, but thick. It's long- a few inches past my shoulders. 1. I mix a double batch of baking soda wash, which is 4 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 cups of water. I stir it all up in a plastic cup. 2. Before I get in the shower, I comb my hair with a wide-toothed comb, to loosen any dirt or whatnot. 3. I bring my cup and comb into the shower with me. I pour the baking soda mix onto my DRY hair, starting with the scalp. I use about half the mix on my scalp, and the rest on the ends of my hair. My hair is totally saturated. 4. I let the mix sit for about a minute, and then scrub it around on my scalp. When I feel good and scrubbed, I comb it fairly well, and then rinse. And that's it! I haven't been doing the vinegar rinse, because my hair hasn't really needed the extra moisture. today was a bit of a glimmer of hope that this would work well for me- my hair looked and felt really nice after I washed it today. Clean, manageable, soft, and pretty! YAAY! Hopefully it'll continue down this road, and I'll have nice, soft, beautiful hair! Woo!

Natural Cleansing

Since I made the switch to no 'poo, I've been reading the unsavory facts about some of the chemicals in every day things, like soaps and toothpaste. I've decided to make an effort to use all-natural products instead of the usual, which will hopefully reduce my family's exposure to these chemicals, and be better for the environment. My first major switches (not including shampoo, of course) are going to be toothpaste and soap. I'm not sure what I want to use for soap, and plan on testing a few bars from different places. I currently have an all-natural bar that was a gift that I'll try first. There's some all-natural soap available at my local grocery store, and I'd like to try something from Etsy sellers, as well. (I'm all about supporting a small, home-operated business.) I'll do reviews for the next few months, and let you guys know what I think. Who knows, there may be something AMAZING out there! I'm definitely open to more suggestions, and will be sure to try the ones you all have already suggested, as well. On that note, are there any natural facial cleansers or soaps you know of that would work well for my face? I've thought about trying the oil-cleansing method, but it seems so time consuming. Would love some alternatives!

'Poo Free, Day 10

I washed my hair yesterday, and noticed my ends we're still kind of greasy, so I washed just them again, with the same mixture of 2 tsp. baking soda mixed in 1 cup of water. It worked well! I didn't do the vinegar rinse, because my hair didn't seem to need any extra moisture anywhere. The whole thing is still going well, but my hair seems to be trying to adjust. I'm going to try to hold off on washing it until Saturday- We'll see how it goes. I'm really hoping my hair is going to adjust to this, and balance out, and not be so gross. We'll see. I may need to just increase my washings to twice a week or something- we'll see! I'll be keeping you all updated.

'Poo Free, Day 7

No 'poo update time! I washed my hair on Sunday, and used 1/2 a teaspoon less baking soda, to see if it helped with the greasiness. It didn't. I think (HOPE) that my hair is going through and adjustment phase, because it's kind of gross. Not horrible, but not super pleasant. I'll be washing again on Friday, and we'll see how it goes after that. All in all, though, I'm happy with my decision to go 'poo free so far, and I hope it works out. I think it will. Since going 'poo free, I'd like to start going natural with my soap and toothpaste, as well. Thanks everyone who gave recommendations for this stuff! I've been looking into things, and I'll see how that goes, too. In knitting news, I FINALLY cast on for my second Jaywalker sock last night at Stitch n' Bitch. Yaay! I haven't been knitting as much because of the sewing, but I'm still doing it here and there. OH! If I'm going to switch to all-natural soap soon, I'd like to make some "soap socks", since it's typically in bars. Know of any cute patterns out there? What yarn would YOU use? I look forward to your suggestions again. You guys really do rock!

'Poo Free, Day 3

You guys had a lot of good stuff to say about the whole no 'poo method! Some of you had some questions, so here's some answers: Lauren asked: I guess I'm curious why only twice a month? Well, twice a month seems like a good, realistic goal. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I don't think people before shampoo was invented, did a lot of hair washing. I'll probably end up adjusting the frequency depending on how my hair is- maybe more washings in the summer, things like that. Sarah asked: What's your hair like normally? I have fine hair, but it's fairly thick. It's pretty much stick straight, and notoriously oily. I HAVE to wash it every other day, and even then, it's pushing it. For those of you who are more curious of the methods, this is the best resource I've found. Lots of info there! So, it's been two days since I've washed my hair. Yesterday I did rinse it out with hot water in the shower, which helped. It's greasy, but not as greasy as it used to get. I picked up a natural bristle brush, as well, to help distribute the oils from my scalp to the ends. Hubbster and I both thought it was a little dry after the first washing, so the next time, I'll be using less baking soda, to see if that helps keep it from drying out. Another odd side effect, which is kind of cool in a gross way: My pores on my scalp feel more open. I sweat more, and easier, than I used to, especially when doing something strenuous. It's a little weird, but not bad. Kind of makes me wonder what shampoo and conditioner was really doing to my pores! On another note, I'd like to start using natural soap, and possibly natural toothpaste. Do you guys use any of these, have any good resources or favorites, or places that you like to get these from?

'Poo Free, Day 1

Alright, today was my first run with not using shampoo. I washed my hair with 2 tsp. of baking soda, dissolved in 1 cup of water. I rinsed with 1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar diluted with 1 cup of water. I mixed both in little cups, individually, and brought them into the shower with me. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: When pouring the baking soda/water mixture on your head, be VERY CAREFUL not to get that shit in your eyes. It HURTS. Results: While in the shower, my hair didn't really feel "clean". It still felt slick and greasy. Now that I'm out, and it's dry, though, it looks clean, and not greasy at all. It definitely feels softer, too. It does feel different, somehow, though. Not really sure how to explain it. Just different. Also, it doesn't smell at all. Not like yuk, not like baking soda, not like vinegar. I might, once my hair adjusts a bit, try to add some yummy smelling essential oil to my rinse. Goal: To not wash my hair more than twice a month. Yep, I only want to do this every other week. With shampoo, I washed my hair every other DAY. I plan to work up to this, so for now, I'm going to go three days without the baking soda wash and vinegar rinse. in between, I'll rinse with hot water, and wipe with a washcloth, to help distribute oils to the ends of my hair. I'll do maybe two or three washes, spaced three days apart, and then move on to five days, then a week, etc. So. I'm sure I'll be posting updates on this, but I'm not sure how regularly. Do you guys care, either way?

No 'Poo

So, I'm thinking about trying this whole "No 'Poo" Thing (Do a google search, if you really want to have all the info). Basically, I'll stop using shampoo, and switch to hot wanter rinses, alternated with washing my hair with baking soda and a cider vinegar rinse. It's supposed to be really good for your hair, make it healthier, and it's better for the environment and your body, since you're not exposing either to harsh chemicals. So, feedback! Have any of you tried this, had friends who tried it, thought about it? What do you think? I think I'm going to try it tomorrow. I'll keep you all updated on how the whole thing goes.

A Mild Shade of Green

After reading this post, I decided to make my own laundry detergent. Now, I am not really one of those people who is totally obsessed with renewable sources and protecting the environment. Mainly I don't buy organic produce or products that are better for the environment because they're too expensive. This laundry detergent, though? Cheap. Muy cheap. Cheap enough for me. it was actually very easy to make and smells great. Tomorrow, I'll give it a whirl and let you all know how well it cleans. And hey, I like the earth just as much as the next person! The recipe can be found here, but I'll put it right here for you guys, too. for reference, I found all this stuff in the laundry aisle at my local Smith's (Kroger) grocery store. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated on the small side of a grater 1 cup Borax 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (This is NOT the same as baking soda. I promise.) Just mix it all together, store in an airtight container, and it's ready to go! I added about 10-15 drops of tangerine essential oil, to make it smell extra nice. When your ready to do some laundry, just scoop one tablespoon (two for big or extra dirty loads) into the washer, and run enough hot water to dissolve the soap. Switch it over to cold water (or whatever your preference is), throw in your clothes, and your done! (I'll let you know how this goes tomorrow.) Here is the "fabric softener", which is supposed to help get everything extra clean and nice. 2 cups white vinegar 10 drops essential oil Add 1/4 cup to each load of laundry, the same way you would fabric softener. If you have one of those fancy washing machines with the special cup for softener, your extra lucky! Just pour it in there. I also found a recipe for dish detergent, which uses a lot of the same stuff. Once I run out of my little tabs, I'll give that a try, too! It's kind of nice doing something "green", even if the Hubbster looks at me like I'm crazy.